Day Two in Sunny San Diego
The Pacific Beach hotel we’re staying at is a photographer’s dream with blooming bird of paradise, mandarin ducks, koi fish, and bright red and turquoise parrots to photograph, not to mention Joe’s hour-and-a-half presentation on mindfulness at the Bridging the Hearts and Minds of Youth conference, which I also videotaped clips of.
The upside of jetlag is that the three hour time difference seems to make the day stretch out. By 10:30 a.m. (1:30 EST) I was ready for lunch and had already been through three changes of clothes, everything from socks and shoes, a sweater and poncho to a bathing suit and sundress. The smell of sun and sea is a welcome perfume on my skin. Even the hinted scent of chlorine from the hotel jacuzzi reminds me I’m on vacation. At the pool, a young blonde girl with a pink boogie board gave me the courage to swim in the supposedly-heated salt water pool. There was a man with a Boston accent asking the pool attendant if the ducks liked to swim in the jacuzzi, a flight attendant testing her safety speech on a friend and a baby crying when her dad tried to put floaties on her.
A good beer is also a sign that I’m on vacation. While Joe was being interviewed for a documentary on youth work, I enjoyed the hotel happy-hour micro-brew under a tiki torch by the beach, which was a relief after the $9 beer that I had with lunch at the airport the day before. After the closing of first day of the conference and the best appetizer spread I’ve ever tasted (which included roasted eggplant, asparagus and red peppers, prosciutto, and brie cheese in pastry), Joe and I took a cruise across Mission Bay on top of a lit-up Mississippi-style steamwheeler with a wrought iron spiral staircase and a Victorian design. Tomorrow I’m going to try one of those pool lounge chairs with the baby-carriage windbreaker top and maybe breakfast in bed.
Tomorrow I’m going to try one of those pool lounge chairs with the baby-carriage windbreaker top and maybe breakfast in bed.
~ Watch a video clip of Joe’s talk HERE.
February 5th, 2012 8:46 pm
So great to see summer sun and warmth. Love those birds!!
February 6th, 2012 4:40 am
It ALL Looks FABULOUS, Colleen…..Not sure there will be anything here on the Hill to come close to all those BEAUTIFUL Birds and the Koi…!
It doesn’t surprise me that you would go through three changes of clothing–It is cool/cold in the Mornings and Evenings, and Very Warm during the days–right now…California….Go Figure!
It sounds like you are enjoying your vacation, a lot!
February 6th, 2012 4:47 am
so glad you are enjoying the west coast! we love spending time all the way down the coastline. eager to see all your photos.
February 6th, 2012 4:51 am
i was about to tell you how beautiful these photos are, especially photo #1, when my comment above got posted somehow. oh, well…these shots are enough to make me want to fly down and meet you! we are having some warmer, dry days but nothing as nice as you guys are having in your southern vacation spot.
February 6th, 2012 3:33 pm
wow! sounds fabulous! so happy to hear you enjoying yourself.
February 6th, 2012 4:13 pm
wow…….
February 6th, 2012 8:55 pm
Mandarin ducks! I haven’t see Mandarin ducks since I was in Amsterdam! 🙂
February 6th, 2012 9:52 pm
The wood ducks are pretty too.
I keep seeing succlenet plants and others that I want to ask you the names of, Naomi.
February 7th, 2012 10:22 pm
I really want to see the rest of Joe’s presentation.
I love all the pics and I am so glad you are having a great time. xoxoox
February 8th, 2012 5:47 am
You’ve got such a view which looks fantastic. So too do the ducks and plants. If I had only seen the picture and not known where you were, I’d have guessed Hawaii.
I’m glad you’re having this experience. WONDERFUL.